Whole Wheat Sourdough Waffles

 As I mentioned in my last post, I have been all about making things ahead of time and freezing them for later use - especially breakfast items. One of the easiest things to do are waffles. They freeze incredibly well, and they go from freezer to toaster just like the store-bought kind but are much healthier and tastier. The kids can grab one from the freezer, toast it up and have a healthy and hearty breakfast in a matter of minutes. They don't even bother with adding maple syrup, because they taste that good! (And there is NO sugar or sweeteners in the recipe!) This is my family's favorite waffle recipe. The waffles turn out crispy on the outside and soft and chewy in the center. I can't say enough good things about them.
  A few weeks ago a woman in our church was giving people some of her sourdough starter. She had been growing it for some time, and there was more of it than she needed, so she was giving some away. Lucky me I was one of the recipients! I'm so excited to have it, I've been baking sourdough recipes left and right. I even made one of my old recipes, my Amish Friendship Bread Muffins with this starter. (I added 1/4 cup sugar to that recipe since I was starting with a sourdough starter, and not a sweet starter like it calls for.) And the muffins turned out great! But, my favorite recipe so far has to be these waffles. If you have a sourdough starter in your possession, you need to make these now! And if you don't have a starter, then find someone who does (or make your own) and get some ASAP! Seriously, your breakfast world will be changed forever after you make these. I know mine was!
   (I apologize profusely for not having step by step photos yet again, but I haven't found the balance of documenting my recipes and taking care of Baby Girl in a fast and efficient manner. Lately, it's been all about speed. Forget the camera and get things done! So, the next few recipes I post will just be "after" shots but hopefully I can get back on track soon! Sorry.)

 These waffles cook up in your waffle iron like other recipes, but because of the sourdough starter the dough actually puffs up quite a bit! Don't be alarmed if you see the waffles growing. ;)

 When they are done cooking I just put them on a cooling rack, so both sides stay crunchy.

 The inside of the waffles are remarkably light, airy and chewy. See those air bubbles? You don't get that with a regular waffle recipe! It makes me think of a churro. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. In fact, if you were to cover these in cinnamon and sugar I bet they would be remarkably close to a churro! Incredibly delicious, easy and healthier than regular churros (because they aren't deep fried.)
   My two middle daughters chose to eat their waffles with some organic blueberries. One in each square of course. :) "Jelly Bean" ate hers, one square at a time, eating a blueberry each time.

"Squishy" likes to eat the blueberries out first and then eat the waffle. Another favorite way of eating them is to cut the waffle into little sticks and eat them one square at a time that way.

As with most things these days (especially breakfast food) I make a ton and freeze what we don't use that day. I quadrupled the recipe and made 32 waffles. 

As they came out of the waffle maker, I just cooled them on the cooling rack and then piled them high when it was time to take out the next batch.

You may be asking, how do you freeze them so they don't all stick together? Well, just like I freeze most things: in a single layer on a baking sheet. I lay the waffles down on some parchment paper (so they don't stick to the baking sheet) and put down as many as I can in a single layer, making sure that they are not touching.

Then I place a second piece of parchment paper on top.

And put down another layer of waffles, just like the first. You can pile them as high as you need, making sure that the layers are separated with parchment or wax paper. Once they are completely frozen, just put them in a labeled zip top freezer bag and put back into the freezer. They are ready to take out and toast (on a low setting) any time you need! I would assume they have a freezer life of about 3 months, but since they never last that long in this house I can't say for certain.

These waffles truly are remarkable, and have changed our breakfast lives forever. I'm so thankful to my friend Kim for sharing the recipe, and to Joan for sharing her sourdough starter!

*I always encourage using organic ingredients, if possible.

Here's the recipe:
from The Elliot Homestead

Whole Wheat Sourdough Waffles
makes 4 large -8 small/medium waffles, depending on waffle maker (mine made 8 waffles)

5 tablespoons active sourdough starter (fed within the last 12 hours)
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use white whole wheat flour)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or fat of your choice)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Start the night before you want to eat them!!

Combine the sourdough starter, 1 cup milk, and whole wheat flour together in a bowl. Cover and let sit overnight (at least 12 hours is ideal).

The next morning, in a large bowl, beat the eggs and 1/2 cup milk until frothy. Add in the vanilla extract and melted coconut oil. Mix in the baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
Lastly, whisk in the flour mixture in with the egg mixture. Mix gently until just combined.
Bake the waffles in a preheated waffle iron. The cooking time will depend on your iron, follow it's manufacturers instructions. Mine took 4 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Consume right away, or freeze for later use.